There are people who will say that the Bible is full of contradictions and therefore, cannot be trusted. They typically start with a comparison of Genesis 1 and 2 with the observation that these two chapters cannot be reconciled. The thing to keep in mind is that these two chapters are not intended to be reconciled. The relationship of Genesis 2 to Genesis 1 is similar to that of the Gospel of John versus Matthew, Mark and Luke. Genesis 2 supplements the information in Genesis 1.
Genesis 2 is similar to a play in three acts. Act 1 is the creation of Adam followed by the creation of Eve in Act 2. The fall from grace represents Act 3. Although he only mentions Adam three times, this is foundational to Paul and his way of thinking.
Romans 5:12 So then, just as sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all people because all sinned – ……14 Yet death reigned from Adam until Moses even over those who did not sin in the same way that Adam (who is a type of the coming one) transgressed. NET
1Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. BSB
In Romans 5, all are sinners because of Adam. Christ comes to redeem us from this falling away of Adam.
Genesis 2:4 These are the generations of the heaven and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made earth and heaven. 5 No shrub of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprung up; for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground; 6 but there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. 7 Then the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. JPS Tanakh 1917
This language of “generations” is also seen in Genesis 5 to describe the generations of Adam and in Genesis 10 to talk about the generations of Noah. (Also translated as “history” or “account”). It is a literary device to indicate a shift in the narrative. Genesis 1:1-2:3 is one unit with Genesis 2:4 through 5:1 a second unit. The wording “heaven and earth when they were created” is a reference back to chapter 1. The Hebrew word for day has been modified from “yom” to “beyom” which changes the meaning to “when”. (See https://creation.com/the-meaning-of-yom-in-genesis-1).
There is a shift as well in the Hebrew word for God. In chapter 1, it was “Elohim” whereas it has shifted to “Yahweh” in chapter 2. This is not a reference to two different Gods but simply two different names for the same God with the usage dependent upon the context. (The Bible makes it clear that there is only one God. See Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 43:10 and Isaiah 44:6).
Elohim is used when talking about God as the Creator of all things; the ruler of the universe. Yahweh reflects a more personal side of God – the God who loves us and wants to have a covenantal relationship with us. It is Moses’ “I am who I am”.
In Psalm 19, Elohim is used in verse 1 with Yahweh being used in verse 7. Note the different context of these two verses. Knowing the difference is important to understanding Genesis 2 and how it differs from Genesis 1.
Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God, And the firmament showeth His handiwork;….7 The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. JPS Tanakh 1917
Some will point to verse 2:4 as referring to day 1 or day 2 so naturally plants would not have yet been created (as verse 5 points out). It also appears that we are not talking about all plants but rather a group of specific plants as not every form of vegetation requires humans in order for it to grow. There are some wording differences, as well. The word translated as “shrub”, for example, was not used in Genesis 1. While the word translated as “herb” here also shows up in Genesis chapter 1, there is a modifier to the word in chapter 2 that adds “of the field” which places some limits on what is being talked about. This same word shows up again in Genesis 3:18 when God pronounces judgement on Adam.
In verse 5, we see an example of man’s dominion over creation. With that authority comes responsibility as these plants aren’t going to grow unless man performs the work to make it happen. Since it is still pre-fall, the work it takes maintain and grow the garden is good.
Note the references to ground and dust which alerts us to the fact that we are made out of the earth and are part of creation but God has also given us the breath of life. While some translations use the words “soul” which catches our eye, what is meant is that we are living beings. After all, our cat has also been given the breath of life but we would hardly argue that it has a soul!
The notion of a separate body and soul is one that has been around for a long time. Plato and Greek philosophy were of the opinion that body was bad so the goal is to break free of this prison through death. The Judeo-Christian approach is just the opposite as it recognizes both the body and soul as a single unit. To illustrate the difference, consider the death of Socrates versus that of Jesus. Socrates has a dinner party before drinking the poison where Jesus agonizes over dying until He finally accepts the cup.
Classical theology describes humans as having three parts, two of which are shared with other animals. We have a physical form (and needs), and are animalistic in that we have the capacity to have feelings, such as affection. The third is the image of God aspect from Genesis 1 which is where our uniqueness resides. The church takes the view that there are parts of us that are of the earth, as is true for all creation, but there is also something divine in us.